The Correspondant
by Mantolwen
Summary: When Harry Potter starts a correspondance course with someone else at Hogwarts, little does he know the consequences. HP? SLASH!
1. The Letter

**Disclaimer:** I have not, have never, and will never have: 1. Owned Harry Potter, 2. Make any money from Harry Potter, 3. Discover that Harry Potter exists in real life.

**Author Notes:** For everyone at HMS Set In Slate (D/H) at Accio Firebolt. My first slash.

The Correspondant  
_Chapter One – The letters_

_Dear LeatherTights,_

_Do you agree that this project Dumbledore has set us is weird? I mean, who wants to talk to someone they don't know? How does Dumbledore know that we don't know each other? Dumbledore can be really thick sometimes. So by Christmas I have to work out who you are, and you who I am. All I know is that you're not in my house, so that gets rid of a quarter of the population._

_Anyway, what shall I say? If I mention names, you'll realise my year and who I am really easily! Ummm… what's your favourite class at Hogwarts?_

_CupboardLove_

_PS: I hate my name._

Harry folded up the letter and handed it to the school owl. The sun was fairly high in the sky now, and people would soon be waking up all over the castle. He wondered what LeatherTights, whoever he or she was, would think when they saw his letter. The owl took off into the air, knowing where it was heading. The boy sighed and went down to breakfast.

That morning he had discovered a letter from the headmaster under his pillow, telling him that for the next term he would be corresponding with someone not in his own house. And he had to work out who they were. Sitting at the table, he ate until the post owls arrived. It turned out he already had a reply.

_Dear CupboardLove, _

_I agree, your name is stupid. But it's not as stupid as mine is. Contrary to popular belief, I do not wear leather. At least, popular belief for the people who live near me. Those in my house have no idea. I also agree that this project is weird. You should have guessed by now that I'm not a first year. Come on, would a first year write like this? I have to have been established here for at least a year, and so do you._

_What's my favourite class at Hogwarts? Well apart from History of Magic for obvious reasons, I really enjoy Charms. My favourite charm is the Bubble-head charm. We had a lot of practise of that last year!_

_LeatherTights_

Harry smiled as he read the letter. Whoever it was, they were certainly chatty. And they had also knocked the possibilities down to perhaps just over two thirds of Hogwarts. As for the leather thing… that was still confusing. He folded the letter and put it into his pocket. Hermione and Ron walked down the Great Hall and sat on either side of him, pointedly ignoring each other. Ginny followed, but sat opposite the group.

"What is it this time?" he asked her with a grin. She rolled her eyes.

"Don't ask," she said. Hermione was about to speak, but Harry raised his hands.

"I know what the problem is. And there's only one solution. However, you'll have to work it out for yourself." He looked back at Ginny. Hermione snorted, grabbed some toast, and walked out of the Great Hall.

"What's the matter?" asked Harry.

"Hermione was writing a letter this morning, after she said she wouldn't write to Vicky again!" growled Ron.

"And how do you know she was writing to Vicky?" he asked his best friend.

"It was obvious from the length!" he said. Harry grinned at Ginny.

"Well, I have to go and write a letter myself. So long," said Harry, standing up and walking out of the room.

_Dear LeatherTights,_

_My best friends were arguing today. Do your friends argue? I think my favourite lesson is Care of Magical Creatures. How about Divination? What do you think of that? (I'm safe with Divination – she's not a HoH)_

_Question – why do people think you wear leather? Are you the type? Umm… and pureblood, Muggleborn or half and half?_

_CupboardLove_

The reply came in the middle of their Care of Magical Creatures lesson. There were only nine students taking the NEWT for this. Harry, Ron, Padma, Parvati, Susan Bones, Seamus, Hannah Abbott, Michael Corner and Hermione. Ron, in his temper, kept away from Hermione, who looked rather annoyed.

"Who was it you were writing to?" asked Harry as he pocketed the letter. He had assumed that his correspondent had been using a handwriting disguising charm, as he had been doing. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I know we're not supposed to talk about it, but everyone got a green envelope," she said. Harry nodded, understanding. Hermione had been writing to her mystery person.

"But did you have to do a whole essay?" he asked her. Hermione smiled.

"How else am I going to get to know them. Still, I wish Ron would talk to me again…"

"I understand," said Harry, wishing, as he did at moments like this, that Ron and Hermione would realise what was blatantly obvious to everyone else. Shaking his head, he continued his study of the Augury.


	2. The Truth

**Disclaimer:** See previous chapter.

The Correspondant  
_Chapter Two - The Truth_

_Dear CupboardLove,_

_I'm pureblood, to be honest with you. I've been brought up knowing about magic every day of my life. I couldn't live without it! I reckon from your name that you're a girl. Dunno why. Perhaps it's because you're interested in my leather._

_Divination? I've never taken it. My dad says it's useless junk – he should know, he took it when he was at school. Trelawney's supposed to be a rubbish teacher though, a right fraud. My friends? They don't really argue much. Okay, I don't really have that many true friends. I just hang around with people. Some of my housemates argue like crazy, but they're in the year below me._

_There's one couple, in their sixth year here, who bicker like crazy. They're not in my house though. I dunno if I could stand that._

_LeatherTights_

Harry smiled to himself. He had a pureblood, male probably, with a father who was alive. He didn't have many real friends either. And he knew about Ron and Hermione… Despite what this boy said, Harry knew he was a sixth year. Lying in his bed, he wrote his third letter of the day.

_Dear LeatherTights,_

_You're a male. I know this much. Somehow I also don't think you're a Hufflepuff. That should give you a clue about my house too. I'd just like to say that I am not a girl, either. Now you're on a level footing with me. I'm a half-blood. I have friends in the year below me, as well as my own year. What about you?_

_Oh, and you never explained the leather. Why do people think you wear leather?_

_CupboardLove_

LeatherTights replied quickly, his letter dropping onto Harry's head as the sun rose over the horizon. Harry took the letter, and began to read it.

_CupboardLove,_

_Maybe we should only write one letter a day. It would keep our ink levels high enough for when we need to buy more. What subjects are you taking then? Apart from Care of Magical Creatures of course._

_Most of my friends are in the same year as me. I don't branch out much. They're mostly all in my house too. I really don't get the leather thing._

_LeatherTights_

When Harry entered the Great Hall a little later, he spotted his correspondent eating between two other boys in his house. He knew exactly who it was whom he had been corresponding with now, and had decided to reveal this in his next letter. He knew exactly what he would say…

_Dear Draco,_

_See, I know who you are. I had my suspicions all along. Most people I know call you Malfoy, but I wanted to shock you. For my NEWTs I am taking Care of Magical Creatures, Potions, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration and Charms. I think I could see you in leather…_

_CupboardLove_

Harry laughed as the owl sailed across the sky. Then he turned to the entrance of the owlery, and left. Ron and Hermione had been waiting for him outside, but apparently they weren't now. He looked about, and saw some movement behind a tapestry, along with some rather breathy voices. Stopping his ears, he ran away to the common room. He had a fairly good idea of what Ron and Hermione were doing now.

"Hey, Potter, wait!"

Harry spun around. There, by the top of the staircase to the charms corridor (except on Fridays), stood Draco Malfoy.

"Hello," he said, wondering where Crabbe and Goyle were.

"How long did you know?" demanded Draco, standing there haughtily.

"Since about the second letter," replied Harry, smirking. He raised his eyebrows.

"What did that comment mean, then?" he demanded. "The leather comment?"

"Oh, I dunno," Harry looked over the boy briefly, and Draco's face twisted slightly. The blonde boy walked up to his enemy and grabbed his right wrist, pulling him into a secret cupboard to the side.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" demanded Harry.

"I…" Draco suddenly fell silent. His breathing was deeper, somewhat. Harry felt, then, something very strange. Feelings he had never had before, and especially not about a boy.

"Oh God," whispered Draco, taking Harry's left wrist and pushing him up against the wooden walls. Harry's eyes widened in shock as Draco suddenly and firmly placed a kiss on Harry's lips.

"Malfoy!" he exclaimed weakly. The blonde boy released his hands suddenly, and pushed away from the Gryffindor.

"I shouldn't have…" he did not complete the sentence, but dashed away.

"Malfoy, wait! I-" but the other boy was gone. Harry sunk to his knees. Why, oh why did he have to fancy Draco bloody Malfoy? The enemy! Why was he destined to be gay? He had always assumed himself to be straight before…


	3. The Kiss

**Disclaimer:** See chapter one.

The Correspondant  
_Chapter Three - The Kiss_

The next day came around, and Harry had a Potions lesson with Snape – and with Malfoy. He sat on the far side of the room to the boy he now loved, not looking at him and trying to concentrate on the lesson. This was very difficult with Ron and Hermione now in very high spirits behind him. The lesson passed, and Harry was the first to leave.

"Go on ahead," he said to his infatuated friends. "I'll… I need to wait for someone."

Malfoy left five minutes later on his own, and Harry didn't give him a chance to get away, grabbing his left wrist and pulling him away from the door.

"Ow! What d'you want, Potter?" growled the Slytherin, as he was dragged into an empty dungeon.

"I want to talk about yesterday," said Harry firmly.

"There is nothing to say!" replied Draco haughtily. "It was… a mistake," he finished rather weakly.

"I think it was no mistake," said the darker boy.

"It was, I swear!" exclaimed Malfoy, terrified of the boy in front of him. Harry realised that he did not understand the true consequences of what had happened the previous day. Rather than hating Draco ant more, Harry felt the complete opposite to what he had done before.

"If it was a mistake, then I would like to repeat it," said Harry, grinning. Before his ex-enemy had a chance to reply, he pulled the boy towards him and kissed him firmly on the mouth. Draco moaned. Taking this as a sign to continue, Harry tentatively kissed his Adam's apply. The blonde shivered.

"C- C- Can you do that again?" he asked in a hoarse voice. Harry, who had pulled away, kissed that spot again, but more confidently now.

"Oh Potter, you rotter, what have you done?" breathed Malfoy.

"I'm killing off students, I think it's good fun," replied Harry with a wink. Draco groaned in exasperation, then reached his own arms around the black-haired boy. They kissed each other, not understanding their feelings, but knowing they were right.

"Potter," said Malfoy.

"What is it?" asked Harry, resting his head on the other boy's shoulder.

"Call me Draco. At least in private." Harry nodded against his cheek. The blonde boy rested his own head under Harry's chin. "And one other thing… I'm not like my father, you know that?"

"I do now, Draco," replied Harry, kissing his cheek.

"Thank you… Harry," said Draco. "For you, I would do anything. I would…"

Harry shut the other boy up with a kiss on the lips. "I am not interested," he said firmly. "I already know."

Draco and Harry finally parted, and the Slytherin took a seat on one of the wooden desks. "I hope your bickering friends don't find us here," he said with a grin that looked strange on his usually smirking face.

"Oh, don't worry about them. They're probably snogging in a cupboard somewhere," he replied with a wink. Draco smiled.

"They finally worked it out then?" he asked, as he stood up. A bell rang somewhere in the castle. "Same time same place tomorrow?" he added, looking at his new lover. Harry nodded, and they both smiled, before leaving for their classes. The future might be undecided, but one thing was certain, and the new lovers both knew it. Love was, is, and ever shall be eternal.


End file.
